Venezuelan, Harding ride on Labour Day

VELEZUELAN jockey Carlos Marquez is coming to ride on CLICO Midsummer Classic Day.

And ex-national champion rider Brian Harding will be returning from Jamaica for the Labour Day, Friday, 10-race programme at Santa Rosa Park, Arima. Marquez will be astride Hot Way in the day’s opening CLICO Family of Mutual Funds Trophy event over 1200 metres. He will  also ride Full Of Promises in the third race Fantastic Lad in the sixth and Lovely Honoree in the curtain event. These announcements were made at yesterday’s press launch of the rich CLICO Midsummer Classic, the second jewel on the local triple crown which carries a purse of $125,000 at the Hilton Trinidad Hotel. And there will be many special giveaways to turfites on the day, courtesy sponsors Colonial Life Insurance Company (Trinidad) Limited. The apprentice adjudged to have ridden the besty race of the day will receive $500 courtesy Emmanuel C Lawrence Division of CLICO. New Arima Race Club president Gerard Ferreira thanked the sponsors for the entertainment they have projected for Friday’s Labour Day racing, which he said will encourage families to attend the races.

Ferreira expressed the hope there will be more partnerships like that betweeen the ARC and CLICO which could only bode well for racing. At yesterday’s draw for post positions for the “big race,” pre-race favourite Top Of The Class drew #6 right alongside his Glenn Mendez-trained stablemate Celebration Time #7. The other Mendez-handled horse in the 1900 metres race, Sweet Tempo drew position #12. And in the Santa Rosa Dash over 1200 metres worth a total of $75,000, “big noise” Sugar Mike drew the outside position in the five-horse field. Speedster Song Of Freedom, one of three entrants trained by young handler Grant Lourenco, will leave from starting stall #1 with his other runner Invincibility coming out of the #4 stall.

Here is the full draw for the two “big races” on Labour Day:
SANTA ROSA DASH HANDICAP — 1200 METRES — 1. Song Of Freedom; 2. Tactical Bid; 3. Fortunate Flag; 4. Invincibility; 5. Sugar Mike.
CLICO MIDSUMMER CLASSIC — 1900 METRES — 1. Super Grey; 2. Sir Vidia; 3. Wild Life; 4. Due Dilligence; 5. Loud Music; 6. Top Of The Class; 7. Celebrartion Time; 8. Hannibal’s Will; 9. Cornerstone; 10. Isle Be There; 11. Royal Flush; 12. Sweet Tempo; 13. Naturelly Classy.